Hours after Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje’s assertion that the suspect involved in the March 1 blast at The Rameshwaram Cafe was from Tamil Nadu stirred controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader issued a retraction and offered an apology.

“To my Tamil brothers & sisters, I wish to clarify that my words were meant to shine light, not cast shadows. Yet I see that my remarks brought pain to some – and for that, I apologize. My remarks were solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest, linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. To anyone from Tamil Nadu effected, From the depths of my heart, I ask your forgiveness. Furthermore, I retract my previous comments,” Karandlaje said in a post on X.

She issued an apology while clarifying that her statement was solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest and linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast.

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The Union Minister’s comments came even when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was yet to arrest the suspect in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case.

Speaking at a protest in support of a shopkeeper who was allegedly assaulted for playing Hanuman Chalisa during Azaan in Bengaluru on Sunday, Karandlaje said, “People from Tamil Nadu come here, get trained there and plant bombs here. They placed a bomb in the cafe.”

Slamming the Congress government in Karnataka over the deteriorating law-and-order situation, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and BJP leader said, “Law and order in Karnataka has deteriorated. People who come from Tamil Nadu plant bombs here, people from Delhi chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans and people who come from Kerala were involved in acid attacks.”

The Union Minister had also blamed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for emboldening radical elements to target Hindus and BJP workers on Tuesday.

“Mr. Stalin, What has become of Tamil Nadu under your rule? Your appeasement politics have emboldened radical elements to attack on Hindus & BJP workers day and night. Frequent Bomb blasts bearing the hallmarks of terror outfits like ISIS explode while you turn a blind eye,” Karandlaje had earlier said in a post on X.

“FYI, the Rameshwaram bomber was trained in Krishnagiri forests under your nose,” she wrote further.

Taking offence at Karandlaje’s provocative claims, MK Stalin said that the Union Minister lacks the authority to make such assertions.

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“Strongly condemn Union BJP Minister @ShobhaBJP’s reckless statement. One must either be an NIA official or closely linked to the #RameshwaramCafeBlast to make such claims. Clearly, she lacks the authority for such assertions,” Mr Stalin said in a post on X.

Stalin also sought legal action against Karandlaje and demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) respond to the “hate speech.”

The NIA is yet to disclose or establish the whereabouts of the man accused of planting a bomb in Rameshwaram Cafe.